All the Results from Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s 11 Trades

  |  
Feb 5, 2023
Vikings Will Enter 2023
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah

The Minnesota Vikings hired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah 375 days ago after cutting ties with former general manager Rick Spielman and head coach Mike Zimmer.

So far, the Vikings bossman has conducted 11 trades, doing business with the following teams:

  • Cleveland Browns
  • Detroit Lions (twice)
  • Green Bay Packers
  • Houston Texans
  • Indianapolis Colts
  • Las Vegas Raiders (thrice)
  • Philadelphia Eagles
  • Pittsburgh Steelers

All the Results from Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s 11 Trades

Most of the transactions transpired during the 2022 NFL Draft, as the Vikings traded more than any team during the event. Adofo-Mensah orchestrated six draft trades during his maiden voyage draft, four in the summer, and one at the NFL’s 2022 trade deadline.

All the Results from Kwesi
Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.

All told, Adofo-Mensah has accrued 12 new players (most via draft pick) and three picks at a later date amid his 11 trades. These are the spoils received by the Vikings:

  • Brian Asamoah (LB)
  • Ross Blacklock (DT)
  • Andrew Booth (CB)
  • Ty Chandler (RB)
  • Lewis Cine (S)
  • Akayleb Evans (CB)
  • Ed Ingram (OT)
  • T.J. Hockenson (TE)
  • Nick Mullens (QB)
  • Nick Muse (TE)
  • Esezi Otomewo (DT)
  • Jalen Reagor (WR)
  • 2023 4th-Rounder
  • 2024 Conditional 4th-Rounder
  • 2025 Conditional 7th-Rounder
Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.

In return, the other eight teams received these assets:

  • Brittain Brown (RB, LV)
  • Jesse Davis (OT, PIT)
  • Neil Farrell (DT, LV)
  • Jerome Ford (RB, CLE)
  • Andrew Ogletree (TE, IND)
  • Josh Paschal (EDGE, DET)
  • Alec Pierce (WR, IND)
  • Bernhard Raimann (OT, IND)
  • Christian Watson (WR, GB)
  • Zamir White (RB, LV)
  • Jameson Williams (WR, DET)
  • 2023 2nd-Rounder (DET)
  • 2023 4th-Rounder (CLE)
  • 2023 6th-Rounder (HOU)
  • 2023 7th-Rounder (PHI)
  • 2024 4th-Rounder (DET)
  • 2024 Conditional 4th-Rounder (PHI)
  • 2024 Conditional 7th-Rounder (LV)

“What the other teams got” was highlighted by two WRs, Christian Watson and Jameson Williams, to the Packers and Lions, respectively. Watson took off in Green Bay midway through the 2022 campaign, and unless he regresses, he’ll be the real deal. Williams, on the other hand, hit a couple of home runs in Detroit but didn’t quite shine like Watson. Williams also missed eight games due to injury.

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Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports.

Finally, the aforementioned Spielman was often called Trader Rick for his tendency to trade more than most. But perhaps Adofo-Mensah should be anointed a nickname. His 11 trades are more than Spielman ever pulled off in a calendar year.

Adofo-Mensah’s top acquisition was arguably Hockenson from the Lions in November, as the 25-year-old totally transformed Minnesota’s offense. Opposing defensive coordinators realized more and more in 2022 that they could double-team Justin Jefferson, and when they did so, Hockenson was open in the middle of the field. In fact, Hockenson grabbed the most receptions by a player with a new team — rookie or veteran — in his first 10 games than any TE since 1970:

Most Receptions by a TE,
First 10 Games with a Franchise,
Since 1970:

  1. T.J. Hockenson, MIN (60)
  2. Kellen Winslow, CLE (56)
  3. Keith Jackson, PHI (54)
  4. Tony Gonzalez, KC (52)
  5. Jermaine Wiggins, MIN (51)

Adofo-Mensah said at the Vikings year-end press conference a few weeks ago, “We talk about culture, meaning process, and the way we do things, but it’s also just the people.”

“How they relate, how they show up and set a standard. That group of people, it’s going to be foundational in that element. So, we’ve got to consider those things, also, in addition to the production on the field. But really, at the end of the day, we’re trying to meet the talent threshold, a way of playing, for this team that’s a championship standard,” the young executive concluded.

So, in chasing that championship standard, there’s no reason to believe he won’t continue trading at breakneck speed.

The 2023 NFL Draft starts on April 27th.

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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.

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